Training
Quebec is the only province in Canada that has notaries who perform the tasks described in this Infosheet. To become a notary, you must first learn about the justice system by completing a bachelor degree in Civil Law at one of the following universities:
To practice as a notary, you must also complete a diploma of notarial law (a D.D.N.) offered at Université Laval, l'Université de Montréal, l'Université de Sherbrooke and the University of Ottawa. At the University of Ottawa, the D.D.N. is completed as part of a master's program, and a few courses are offered in English. Courses in notarial law at the other universities are offered in French only. You are sometimes allowed to write your exams in English depending on the university. For more information contact the university directly.
After your university studies, you must complete a 32-week internship during which you are supervised by a notary. During this internship you learn about the day-to-day work of a notary, by preparing files, meeting clients, doing legal research and finding legal answers to problems.
You must also complete 3 weeks of training (as part of the 32 weeks), offered by the Chambre des notaires du Quebec (the professional association of notaries). Classes and textbooks for this training are only available in French, and any work such as assignments submitted to the Chambre must be in French.
Before you can work as a notary, you must then be sworn in and registered with the Chambre des notaires du Québec.
There are about 3,400 notaries in Quebec.
Useful High School Courses
The following courses could help you prepare for a future as a notary:
Speak to your guidance counsellor to see if there are other courses offered at your school that could prepare for this career.
- Université Laval
- McGill University
- Université de Montréal
- Université de Sherbrooke
- University of Ottawa (section droit civil)
- Université du Québec à Montréal
To practice as a notary, you must also complete a diploma of notarial law (a D.D.N.) offered at Université Laval, l'Université de Montréal, l'Université de Sherbrooke and the University of Ottawa. At the University of Ottawa, the D.D.N. is completed as part of a master's program, and a few courses are offered in English. Courses in notarial law at the other universities are offered in French only. You are sometimes allowed to write your exams in English depending on the university. For more information contact the university directly.
After your university studies, you must complete a 32-week internship during which you are supervised by a notary. During this internship you learn about the day-to-day work of a notary, by preparing files, meeting clients, doing legal research and finding legal answers to problems.
You must also complete 3 weeks of training (as part of the 32 weeks), offered by the Chambre des notaires du Quebec (the professional association of notaries). Classes and textbooks for this training are only available in French, and any work such as assignments submitted to the Chambre must be in French.
Before you can work as a notary, you must then be sworn in and registered with the Chambre des notaires du Québec.
There are about 3,400 notaries in Quebec.
Useful High School Courses
The following courses could help you prepare for a future as a notary:
- History and Citizenship Education
- Ethics and Religious Culture
- English Language Arts
- French as a Second Language
- Mathematics
Speak to your guidance counsellor to see if there are other courses offered at your school that could prepare for this career.
